No. 18 Purdue 77, Wisconsin 57

12/29/2005 10:43 PM

By CLIFF BRUNT
Associated Press Writer

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) - Aya Traore and Purdue didn't get caught looking ahead to a showdown with Ohio State.

The 18th-ranked Boilermakers were clearly focused on Wisconsin in a 77-57 win over the Badgers Thursday night in the Big Ten opener for both teams.

Purdue (9-2, 1-0) will host No. 7 Ohio State on Sunday, but the Boilermakers showed that the Badgers were their priority by taking a quick 18-2 lead.

Wisconsin made four 3-pointers early in the second half to get within 37-34, but Purdue made its next five field goals to take a 48-38 lead and force a timeout by Wisconsin with 11:19 left. The Boilermakers never led by fewer than nine points the rest of the way.

``It's good to see when Wisconsin made a run and came at us that we were able to show a bit of character and perseverance and sustain it,'' Purdue coach Kristy Curry said. ``That's what the Big Ten is about.''

Traore fought through the stomach flu to score 14 of her game-high 18 points in the second half. She led six Boilermakers in double figures.

``If we have that kind of balance, we'll be pretty good,'' Curry said. ``We've got to have four show up and we got six tonight. ... It's nice when you can have that kind of balance and selflessness.''

Ashley Josephson led the Badgers (5-7, 0-1) with 13 points. Wisconsin guards Jolene Anderson and Janese Banks entered the game averaging a combined 32 points, but Purdue held them to 21 points on 8-for-26 shooting.

Purdue shot 64 percent from the field in the second half to pull away. Katie Gearlds, who had 13 points and five assists, said Purdue never changed its game plan.

``We started executing offensively and got stops defensively,'' Gearlds said. ``Basketball is a game of runs. We had to sustain ours a little longer, and we did.''

Purdue took an 18-2 lead before the Badgers went on an 11-0 run. Gearlds didn't like that the Boilermakers let Wisconsin back into the game.

``I thought we got some good looks, but offensively, we didn't knock down shots,'' she said. ``We got a little careless with the ball. ... I think that was our opportunity to knock them out and we didn't do it.''

Purdue didn't commit a foul in the second half until 4:48 remained. The Boilermakers outscored the Badgers 20-4 from the free-throw line.

``We didn't get out to the shooters,'' Wisconsin coach Lisa Stone said. ``We were switching things around and we did some things to disrupt them, but they're just a good basketball team.''